Endoscopic stomach insert for treating obesity and method for use

• US 5,868,141 A
• Filed: 05/14/1997
• Issued: 02/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yakub A. Ellias
• Original Assignee: Yakub A. Ellias
• Inventors: Ellias, Yakub A.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, WILLIAM W
• Application Number:
  US08/855,966
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 606/191, 606/194, 606/195, 606/198, 606/200, 606/1, 128/898, 128/899, 604/909
• US Class Current: 128/898
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0003 Apparatus for the treatment of obesity; Anti-eating devices surgical instruments or methods for treatment of obesity, devices specially adapted therefor A61B17/00; hollow or tubular parts of organs A61F2/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0036 Intragastrical devices

Abstract

An endoscopic stomach insert for treating obesity in humans by reducing the desire for eating, comprising a base-sized for passing through a human mouth and esophagus; a plurality of flexible blades coupled at one end thereof to the base and circumferentially arranged about the base central axis, where the blades are biased to extend substantially radially outward and downward from the base; and a retainer for releasably coupling the distal portions of the blades within close proximity to each other about the central axis of the base. The insert is thus adapted to be passed through the mouth and esophagus and into a human stomach, and upon releasing the retainer within the stomach, the blades are biased to flare outwardly into the form of a dome-shaped cage, applying pressure to the stomach, and thus causing a sensation of fullness within the stomach and reducing the desire for eating.

Claims

1. An endoscopic stomach insert for treating obesity in humans by reducing the desire for eating, comprising:

a base sized for passing through a human mouth and esophagus, said base having a central axis, an upper end and a lower end;

a plurality of flexible spokes coupled at one end thereof to said base and circumferentially arranged about said axis, said spokes being biased to extend substantially radially outward from said base; and

a retainer for releasably coupling distal portions of said spokes within close proximity to each other about said axis of said base;

said spokes being of a sufficient length so as to be adapted to cause a sensation of fullness within a person'"'"'s stomach after the insert is placed within stomach and the retainer is released.

2. The stomach insert of claim 1, wherein at least said distal portions of said spokes are also biased to extend downwardly below said lower end of said base.

3. The stomach insert of claim 1, wherein said base includes a guide-hole extending axially therethrough for receiving a guide-wire, whereby the base is adapted to ride on a guide-wire extending into a human mouth and esophagus and into the stomach, such that the insert can be easily deposited within the stomach using endoscopic procedures.

4. The stomach insert of claim 1, wherein said base is substantially disk-shaped, having a diameter ranging from approximately 6 millimeters to approximately 10 millimeters.

5. An endoscopic stomach insert for treating obesity in humans by reducing the desire for eating, comprising:

a disk having a diameter sized for passing through a human mouth and esophagus, said disk further having a central axis, an upper end and a lower end, and said disk including a guide-hole extending axially therethrough for receiving a guide-wire;

at least three flexible plastic blades, each of said blades having a longitudinal axis and each of said blades being substantially flat and curved with respect to said longitudinal axis, providing said blades with a concave surface and a convex surface, said blades having a proximate end and a substantially blunt distal end, and each of said blades being coupled at said proximate end to disk such that said concave surface faces downwardly, each of said blades including an eyelet extending from said concave surface at a point between said proximate end and said distal end, said blades being circumferentially arranged about said central axis of said disk, and said blades being biased to extend substantially radially outwardly and downwardly from said disk to form a substantially dome-shaped skeleton in an open position;

a severable elastic band extending through each of said eyelets, coupling said blades within close proximity to each other, in a closed position, below said lower end of said disk, and about said central axis, to form a substantially asymmetrical elliptical skeleton; and

a projection extending from an upper surface of said disk;

whereby the disk is adapted to ride, in said closed position, on a guide-wire extending into a human mouth and esophagus and into the stomach, such that the insert can be deposited within the stomach;

whereby, upon severing the band within the stomach, the blades will be biased to flare outwardly towards said open position, such that the convex surfaces of the blades will apply pressure to the stomach, thus causing a sensation of fullness within the stomach and reducing the desire for eating; and

whereby the projection provides means for gripping the insert with an endoscopic instrument such that the insert can be extracted from the stomach, back through the esophagus, and out through the mouth.

6. An endoscopic stomach insert for treating obesity in humans by reducing the desire for eating, comprising:

a base sized for passing through a human mouth and esophagus, said base having a central axis, an upper end and a lower end;

a plurality of flexible spokes coupled at one end thereof to said base and circumferentially arranged about said axis, said spokes being biased to extend substantially radially outward from said base; and

a retainer for releasably coupling distal portions of said spokes within close proximity to each other about said axis of said base;

wherein said plurality of spokes comprise at least three flexible blades, each of said blades having a longitudinal axis and each of said blades being substantially flat and curved with respect to said longitudinal axis, providing said blades with a concave surface and a convex surface, said blades having a proximate end and a substantially blunt distal end, and each of said blades being coupled at said proximate end to said base such that said concave surface faces downwardly;

whereby the insert is adapted to be passed through the mouth and esophagus and into a human stomach; and

whereby, upon releasing the retainer within the stomach, the blades will be biased to flare outwardly such that said convex surfaces of the blades are thereby adapted to apply pressure to the stomach, thus causing a sensation of fullness within the stomach and reducing the desire for eating.

7. The stomach insert of claim 6, wherein said blades are plastic.

8. The stomach insert of claim 7, wherein:

each of said blades include an eyelet extending from said concave surface of said blade at a point between said proximate end and said distal end of said blade; and

wherein said retainer includes a severable elastic band extending through each of said eyelets, coupling said blades within close proximity to each other below said lower end of said base, about said axis of said base.

9. The stomach insert of claim 8, wherein said blades are at least approximately 6 centimeters long.

10. An endoscopic stomach insert for treating obesity in humans by reducing the desire for eating, comprising:

a base sized for passing through a human mouth and esophagus, said base having a central axis, an upper end and a lower end;

a plurality of flexible spokes coupled at one end thereof to said base and circumferentially arranged about said axis, said spokes being biased to extend substantially radially outward from said base; and

a retainer for releasably coupling distal portions of said spokes within close proximity to each other about said axis of said base;

each of said spokes including an eyelet extending from said spoke at a point distal from said base; and

said retainer including a severable elastic band extending through each of said eyelets, coupling said spokes within close proximity to each other below said lower end of said base, about said axis of said base;

whereby the insert is adapted to be passed through the mouth and esophagus and into a human stomach; and

whereby, upon severing said band within the stomach, the spokes will be biased to flare outwardly and are thereby adapted to apply pressure to the stomach, thus causing a sensation of fullness within the stomach, reducing the desire for eating.

11. An endoscopic stomach insert for treating obesity in humans by reducing the desire for eating, comprising:

a base sized for passing through a human mouth and esophagus, said base having a central axis, an upper end and a lower end;

at least three flexible spokes coupled at one end thereof to said base and circumferentially arranged about said axis, said spokes being biased to extend substantially radially outward from said base and said spokes being at least approximately 6 centimeters long; and

a retainer for releasably coupling distal portions of said spokes within close proximity to each other about said axis of said base;

whereby the insert is adapted to be passed through the mouth and esophagus and into a human stomach; and

whereby, upon releasing the retainer within the stomach, the spokes will flare outwardly and are thereby adapted to apply pressure to the stomach, thus causing a sensation of fullness within the stomach and reducing the desire for eating.

12. An endoscopic stomach insert for treating obesity in humans by reducing the desire for eating, comprising:

a base sized for passing through a human mouth and esophagus, said base having a central axis, an upper end and a lower end;

a plurality of flexible spokes coupled at one end thereof to said base and circumferentially arranged about said axis, said spokes being biased to extend substantially radially outward from said base;

a retainer for releasably coupling distal portions of said spokes within close proximity to each other about said axis of said base; and

a projection extending from an upper surface of said base;

whereby the insert is adapted to be passed through the mouth and esophagus and into a human stomach;

whereby, upon releasing the retainer within the stomach, the spokes will flare outwardly and are thereby adapted to apply pressure to the stomach, thus causing a sensation of fullness within the stomach and reducing the desire for eating; and

whereby the projection provides means for gripping the insert with an endoscopic instrument such that the insert can be extracted from the stomach, back through the esophagus, and out through the mouth.

13. An endoscopic stomach insert for treating obesity in humans by reducing the desire for eating, comprising:

a base sized for passing through a human mouth and esophagus, said base having a central axis, an upper end and a lower end;

a plurality of flexible spokes coupled at one end thereof to said base and circumferentially arranged about said axis, said spokes being biased to extend substantially radially outward from said base; and

a retainer for releasably coupling distal portions of said spokes within close proximity to each other about said axis of said base, forming a substantially asymmetrical elliptical skeleton having a widest diameter that is at most approximately 2 centimeters;

whereby the insert is adapted to be passed through the mouth and esophagus and into a human stomach; and

whereby, upon releasing the retainer within the stomach, the spokes will flare outwardly and are thereby adapted to apply pressure to the stomach, thus causing a sensation of fullness within the stomach and reducing the desire for eating.

14. An endoscopic procedure for treating obesity in humans by reducing the desire for eating comprising the steps of:

(a) endoscopically extending a guide-wire into a patient'"'"'s mouth, through the patient'"'"'s esophagus, and into the patient'"'"'s stomach;

(b) guiding an endoscopic stomach insert along the guide-wire, into the patient'"'"'s mouth, through the patient'"'"'s esophagus, and into the patient'"'"'s stomach, the stomach insert including,

a base sized for passing through the patient'"'"'s mouth and esophagus, said base having a central axis, an upper end and a lower end;

a plurality of flexible spokes coupled at one end thereof to said base and circumferentially arranged about said axis, said spokes being biased to extend substantially radially outward from said base; and

a retainer for releasably coupling distal portions of said spokes within close proximity to each other about said axis of said base to form a substantially elliptical cage having a widest diameter sized for passing through a patient'"'"'s mouth and esophagus; and

(c) endoscopically releasing the retainer such that the spokes will flare outwardly and apply pressure to the stomach, thus causing the patient to experience a sensation of fullness within the stomach and reducing the patient'"'"'s desire for eating.